


Stay a Little Longer

by whateverhappened



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Japanese National Team, Kuroo Tetsurou is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Post-Canon, Pro Volleyball Player Iwaizumi Hajime, Pro Volleyball Player Oikawa Tooru, when in doubt toss to iwaizumi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-24 22:56:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16649452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whateverhappened/pseuds/whateverhappened
Summary: "They were ready to jump in front of you even before I made the decision to toss the ball to you. They just knew I was going to do so. It was a tough game, I was under pressure, everybody was making stupid mistakes and I just wanted to feel safe. That's why I tossed to you. That's why I always toss to you, according to Tobio-chan.”“So what. It's only logical that during a difficult rally the setter unconsciously trusts the ball to the player he's most familiar with, isn't it? And we're a team, you and I.”“No, we're not. Not anymore.”





	Stay a Little Longer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my ramblings!
> 
> Just a couple of notes before leaving you to the fic, hoping you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> I know almost nothing about the Japanese V.League, so my apologies if I wrote nonsense about it. I also briefly mentioned a real volleyball player, who is actually a fan of Haikyuu, so kudos to Yuki. 
> 
> A huge thank you to my amazing beta readers, [Hannah](https://hanyuyu.tumblr.com/) and [Maya](https://sipurdrink.tumblr.com/), who helped me make this fic readable. Go follow their blogs! ;)
> 
> Last but not least, thank you to my friends, who believe in this story more than I do. Thanks for everything, girls!

It was obvious as soon as he opened the door that something was wrong.

Well, no surprise there. Their dreams had just been crushed,  _again_ , so he'd had a nagging suspicion that he would return to find Oikawa sulking after the interviews. Oikawa had somehow managed to avoid the throngs of reporters, and escaped the arena before anyone could  block him, only God knows how. Iwaizumi had instead been stopped for a “quick chat” that had ended with him commenting about the match between Italy and Canada alongside the journalists. He hadn't put his heart into it, and he blamed his lack of enthusiasm on the recent loss of his team – in his opinion, that would have been a marvellous excuse not to stop and chat in the first place, but apparently “that just wasn't how TV worked.”

The truth was that his mind had been scattered the entire time. Unable to focus on a single thing for more than few seconds, his thoughts kept jumping like a volleyball from one side of the court to the other. His mistakes, those of the whole team, what they could have done to avoid the end result of the match, what they could do to improve later on, his spikes—which had not been as strong as they needed to be—and how the opposite team could always read when Oikawa was going to toss to him. Oikawa.

Iwaizumi sighed as he closed the door behind his back and threw the key onto the bed. The room was dark and the curtains were  drawn, blocking the soft light of the moon. The bathroom room had been ajar when he had come in, but it had been abruptly closed immediately after. Iwaizumi sighed again, before quickly shortening the distance between himself and his best friend.

“Oi, Shittykawa, open the door. I can hear you snotting from here.”

“You can't hear people snotting, Iwa-chan. That's a big fat lie.”

“'Course I can. It's annoying, just like you.”

Silence.

Iwaizumi sighed for what seemed like the millionth time,  drawing upon all the patience he could  muster. He knew this was coming, he had known since the end of the second set, when their attack had been blocked without any effort. Oikawa had stared at the spot where the ball had fallen and Iwaizumi had almost been able to hear the gears turning in Oikawa's mind. 

“You know it's not your fault, right?” he said, his voice a whisper, almost tentative. Iwaizumi was used to talking Oikawa out of his mind whenever he became like this, whenever he started doubting himself and second guessing his every move; it had been his job for almost twenty years. But tonight was different, it wasn't a defeat against Shiratorizawa and Oikawa hadn't lost his personal battle against Kageyama. No, instead they'd lost as a national team and they'd lost badly.

And, truth be told, Iwaizumi was right there with Oikawa in the self doubt and pity club. They had been kicked out of the World Championships and it was because he hadn't been able to slam through his opponents. His spikes couldn't go through the blocks; his serves were weak,  _if_ they even went over the net, which had proven to be quite difficult for him and he just couldn't understand  _why._ Why, among all nights and games they had played, it had to be like this  _tonight._

He understood how Oikawa was feeling way too well, but he wasn't the one in need of reassurance at the moment. He had always been the rational one between the two of them, so he grasped at the fact that it had only been one of 'those games' where everything seems to go wrong; even if it stung that it had to happen in such an important competition where the team could have accomplished so much more than what they did. Oikawa wasn't like that, he wasn't as logical, he never had been. He had always been the one taking the blame for all the mistakes and the lost points, as if suddenly he was the only one playing badly, as if there weren't six people on the court making fools out of themselves. He was a great team player, of course he was, however he was even better at ruthlessly assessing himself and not giving himself enough credit. Iwaizumi was certain that right now his friend was analysing every wrong toss or bad receive he'd done that night.

“Did you know that they've already begun to say that coach should have put Tobio-chan on the court?”

Iwaizumi  hummed , before sitting on the ground next to the door, his back against the wall. He rested his head on his knees, trying to stop his thoughts from swirling around. Talking with Oikawa helped, but his ever so kind self kept reminding him of his last serve. After a whole game of weak serves, he had decided to play it hard, but he hit the ball with so much force that it had ended out of the opposite court. They never took possession of the ball again after that.

“Yeah, he could have,” he answered after a moment. “Yes, Kageyama could have taken your place. It would have been nice to see him synching with me in the middle of a game, or tossing to Ushijima, when the two of them normally can't connect. I guess, looking back, he'd have been fine with Kuroo.”

“I didn't toss enough to Kuroo tonight. He was free, and I didn't toss to him.”

“ _Once_. You didn't toss to him when he was free _once_.”

“One time too many.”

“Jeez, Assykawa, we lost that set 25-18. Do you really think that point would have made a difference?”

“Could have. You don't know it, Iwa-chan. Maybe Tobio-chan would have tossed the ball to Kuroo, and Kuroo would have hit it perfectly and scored a beautiful point, changing the mood of the team and leading you guys to a win. Maybe Tobio-chan could have made a difference, you don't know that.”

“I also don't know what bugs talk about and yet I'm perfectly fine with that. You know Kageyama isn't ready to be in the roster of the national team; you know it, coach knows it, even the journalists know it. They're just being a pain in the ass because everyone suddenly turns into the greatest volleyball player after a team loses. It'd be nice to see them play against Russia and make all the right decisions and never let a ball drop, simultaneously scaring one of the top teams in the entire world.”

“They read me as if I were an open book, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi sighed. Oikawa was a challenging person, something Iwaizumi had discovered when they were four and he had realised he would always have to struggle with his friend's personality. Oikawa was a vain person who needed reassurance more often than not, somehow being terribly annoying in the meantime. When he got like this, though, it became difficult for him to find the words to make things right. He needed to understand how to get into Oikawa's head, but the man had put up a higher wall this time.

“It happens. It's part of the game.” he tried, knowing from the start that Oikawa wouldn't buy it.

“It shouldn't. I should have practised more and been less predictable.”

“Now you're being ridiculous, even _you_ know that.”

The only answer Iwaizumi got was a shuddering exhale, immediately followed by a sob. Iwaizumi cursed, hitting his head against the wall as he realised that Oikawa had probably been crying since the end of the game. He didn't know what to do, not when he couldn't even touch his friend to comfort him. It was true that Iwaizumi basically had a degree in how to deal with a crying Oikawa, but this was new. Sure, it had been a huge defeat and Oikawa's reaction was predictable, but there was something more there. It wasn't like Oikawa to hide like he was doing right now, not from Iwaizumi. Not at a time like this. How was he supposed to help Oikawa feel better when he couldn't even see his face?

“Hey,” he said after a while, when he was certain he could risk asking the question on his mind, “What is really going on?”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“Tooru.”

In the silence that was pervading the room, Iwaizumi was able to actually hear Oikawa hold his breath. He hadn't called him by his first name for years, the last time being when they'd left the Seijoh team. It was something that Iwaizumi had only ever done in particular moments, when he truly wanted Oikawa to know that he was there for him, that he _cared_. It was the ultimate weapon to make Oikawa crumble when he didn't want to open up and share the dark thoughts in his mind with Iwaizumi, and despite his awful attitude and his tendency to keep his fears bottled up, it didn't happen often. Knowing him for the better part of their lives, Iwaizumi had learnt how to push Oikawa's buttons to make him talk, so it was rare having to resolve to calling him by his first name – something that inevitably made Oikawa a mess, for some reason. He hadn't even needed to call him Tooru a couple of months prior, when they had had their worst fight in the history of their friendship. 

Calling Oikawa by his first name was something drastic, and they both knew it. It was saying out loud that Iwaizumi wasn't going to leave despite all the bullshit Oikawa might give him.

“It's stupid.” Oikawa said in the end, giving up like Iwaizumi knew he would.

“It's not, if you're crying.”

“Don't get too mushy, Iwa-chan. It's not like you.”

Iwaizumi scoffed and he could hear Oikawa let out a small chuckle from behind the door. Well, it was something, at least.

“They knew I was going to toss to you.” Oikawa stated after a few moments of silence. His voice was low, almost as if he had been fighting with himself to let the words out. He probably had.

“Mh? So what? I told you, to be read is part of the game, and they were really good at it.”

“They didn't.”

“What?” at this point, Iwaizumi was terribly confused.

“They didn't read me. They were ready to jump in front of you even before I made the decision to toss the ball to you. They just _knew_ I was going to do so.”

“So they guess blocked and did it well. That's not the first time it's happened, is it?”

Iwaizumi's words were met by the umpteenth wall of silence. He didn't inquire further, knowing that at some point Oikawa would be ready to share what was going on in his mind, what was giving him such a hard time. Iwaizumi closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall, waiting patiently for his friend to speak.

“I don't think it was a guess block, Iwa-chan. I think they just knew it would be you. It was a tough game, I was under pressure, everybody was making stupid mistakes and I just wanted to feel safe. That's why I tossed to you. That's why I _always_ toss to you, according to Tobio-chan.”

“So what, in those times he tosses to Hinata all the time. It's only logical that during a difficult rally the setter unconsciously trusts the ball to the player he's most familiar with, isn't it? And we're a team, you and I.”

“No, we're not. Not anymore.”

That statement felt like a punch to the stomach, and Iwaizumi inhaled sharply. He had wanted to know what was bothering Oikawa so much, and now that he did, he wanted to slap himself in the face for not understanding sooner. Of course,  _that_ was the problem. It was so obvious, Iwaizumi was feeling more and more stupid by the second. It had been the reason for their fight two months earlier, the only real fight in their lives, and Oikawa hadn't spoken to him for weeks after. They even had some awkward days during the retreat with the national team, days of tentative touches and broken sentences, until they both realised it was stupid to behave like that when they had always been best friends.

Iwaizumi had naively thought they had set things right, apparently he was very wrong.

“Do you remember what I told you when we quit the Seijoh team? I still think that, you know. You have been, are and always will be my partner. And I'm proud of you, even when we lose, like today.”

“And yet, you're leaving me. How can I be your partner when you'll play for another team? Forgive me if I'm missing something here, Iwa-chan, but you're leaving, and you won't tell me why, and I just blew our last game together. Probably proving you right in your decision to change teams.”

Oikawa's voice broke on the last words, and it was the final push that Iwaizumi needed to stand up and open the door that divided him from Oikawa. As he had imagined, his friend was curled up next to the bath, his face an ugly mess. Oikawa's hair, always so perfect, was all over the place and Iwaizumi could easily imagine Oikawa pulling it to let out some stress. He was still in his sweaty game jersey, since he had escaped the arena before taking a shower. He sighed as he sat right next to Oikawa.

“You stink.”

“You stink more.”

“I do not, Smellykawa. Did you even stretch after the game?” when his words were met by silence, Iwaizumi slapped Oikawa on the head. “You moron, you're going to injure yourself again if you don't start taking more care of yourself.”

“So what?”

“I won't even answer you.”

“Wouldn't be the first time.”

Iwaizumi closed his eyes, mustering the energy to stay calm. Considering how short tempered he normally was, it was very difficult for him. He knew what Oikawa was doing, trying to guilt him into giving him the answer he so badly wanted, but he just couldn't. It had been like that since that damn night two months earlier, when Iwaizumi, after a long week of indecision, had finally gathered the courage to tell him he was leaving the team they were both playing for. Oikawa had appeared lost, he had blinked at him and he'd only asked him one thing: “Why?”

Two months after, Iwaizumi still hadn't answered. He had moved out of the flat they'd been sharing because Oikawa was too lazy to live on his own even if he could definitely afford a place, and he had rented a new flat in another city. He had met the new team, some old friends from the national team and some foreign players, he had fought with Oikawa and he hadn't spoken to him for weeks, then they had gone back to what they were... and yet, Iwaizumi still hadn't answered the only question Oikawa had asked him.

“You know we'll play together again, don't you? Japan needs us.”

“They'll change the roster after this defeat, don't lie to yourself, Iwa-chan. Tobio-chan will probably be the setter.”

“That doesn't mean you won't be there as well.”

“Oh, Iwa-chan, always so dense. You should know that I won't ever, _ever_ , be Tobio-chan's substitute. Not even for Japan.”

Iwaizumi shook his head, smiling at the words, “Right. I think it's more probable I won't be called again for Japan, rather than you. Ushijima will put his foot down for the chance to have his beloved Oikawa on the team. Seriously, has he not sent you flowers yet?”

Oikawa scoffed, a distasteful expression on his face. “Iwa-chaaan, don't say gross things. I may play with Ushiwaka-chan because of his stupid left spike, but that doesn't mean I like it. I toss to him because I have to.”

Iwaizumi smirked. “You sure? I saw how he hugged you in the first set, after that absurd pipe which almost broke the Russian libero's wrists. And you hugged him back, don't deny it! You were  _soooooo_ into that!”

“Iwa-chan! Gross! Ew!”

Iwaizumi started laughing, and Oikawa followed suit. The mood had somehow been lifted, making fun of Ushijima always seemed to do the trick to pull Oikawa out of his misery. After that it didn't take long for Iwaizumi to convince Oikawa to finally shower and give his muscles some rest. They even Skyped home to talk to Matsukawa and Hanamaki. Their friends teased them mercilessly for some of the mistakes they had done during the game, and Iwaizumi was glad to see Oikawa laughing at them.

The worst seemed to be behind them now; at least until they would all inevitably go back to Japan, only not to the same city.

Iwaizumi still hadn't answered Oikawa's question.

***

The coach, acting as a referee, whistled the end of the practice game and Iwaizumi almost collapsed on the ground. He was tired, more so because he was having troubles adjusting to the new style of training than the training itself. He had always thought it was an aspect of the game that would be the same everywhere he’d go. The game could change with different coaches, with new strategies or plans, but in his opinion practice had always been a constant. He would go to the gym, warm up, repeat some fundamentals of the game with his teammates, and then maybe play a practice match. At least, that was what he was familiar with before he came to Hirakata. His new coach, though, really wanted to polish the team play, make the new players bond with the old ones, and had made them play practice matches for the whole week. Iwaizumi was starting to miss the hours spent perfecting his receives while Oikawa improved his serves. This was his new team, though, and this kind of training was something he would have to get accustomed to eventually. He just needed some time, he reasoned as he moved his knee pads down to his ankles.

“Good job today,” he heard and immediately turned in the direction the voice was coming from. He blinked when he saw who had spoken, expecting anyone else but him. Sawamura Daichi, former captain of the Karasuno team, was smiling and handing him a bottle of water.

“Um, thanks.” he said, accepting the bottle and nodding at the man. “Same for you. Sawamura, right?” he added out of courtesy, even if he remembered way too well all the game videos of Karasuno Oikawa had made him watch during high school.

“Yeah, call me Daichi, would you? Let's not pretend we didn't play against each other tons of times, watching a silent war between our high school setters.”

Iwaizumi snorted at the words and gave Daichi a smirk. “Not really sure that war is over, they're still at each other's throats even now.”

“Heh, can we blame them, though? The regular setter place on the national team is at stake. I know Kageyama wants it badly, but I bet Oikawa is defending it tooth and nail.”

Iwaizumi mumbled noncommittally, not wanting to start a conversation about Oikawa right now. He had been in Hirakata for a week now, and he was still adjusting to the new reality. Changing cities, transferring teams and making friends had been more challenging than what he had originally thought. Not used to living alone, he kept waiting for a bad joke from Oikawa, or to hear his annoying singing in the shower. Instead his flat was way too silent, the new team still didn't feel like his own and his mind kept reminding him that he had parted ways with his best friend without telling him the truth behind his decisions.

“Are you okay, Iwaizumi?” Daichi asked, giving him a concerned look that reminded Iwaizumi of high school, when the whole Karasuno team seemed to be depending on the stable man who was now in front of him.

“Yeah, yeah. Sure I am, just a bit tired.”

“Having trouble settling in?” Daichi guessed, and Iwaizumi simply nodded in response. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It was the same when I moved here, I didn't know anyone. Kuroo joined the team a year after me though, luckily. It's always nice to have a familiar face around, especially when it's your first move.”

Iwaizumi nodded again, he was glad Kuroo was on the team as well. He had known him for a couple years now, since they had played together in the national team and, with time, had become good friends, despite their huge differences. But Kuroo and Oikawa had hit it off from the very beginning, sharing the same sense of humor, and of course Iwaizumi had been dragged along for their nights out. In the end, it was just easier to become friends with Kuroo as well rather than constantly complain about having to deal with two annoying brats. He still complained sometimes, but both he and Kuroo knew he was just joking.

“Where _is_ Kuroo, by the way? He's disappeared.”

Daichi smirked, “That's what he does best. One second he's here, and the next he's already spread out on his couch playing some new videogame with Kenma. Tell you what, let's all go out this Saturday, right after the game. Kuroo and I will show you around a bit, and maybe it'll help you with settling down in Hirakata.”

And that was how Iwaizumi found himself almost drunk that Saturday night, in the middle of a giggling Kuroo and a slightly inhebriated Daichi.

They had just won their first game of the season, the Panasonic Panthers showing the League that they were meant to win. Their roster had been completely changed, with Iwaizumi and Bokuto exchanging teams, and Iwaizumi knew that all the volleyball fans in Japan were really curious to see what would happen. There had been tons of critics directed towards the Panthers' coach, wondering how he had let one of the top aces in the country go, only to get Iwaizumi instead. Sure, he'd played on the international level, and had been in the roster at the World Championships after all, but everyone knew how that ended for Japan. The curiosity around the new team had been almost too much, the pressure to play well on their debut _definitely_ too high. Now that their first win had proved they could perform well, they all agreed that a drink was in order. Or two. Maybe three.

“I love you, Iwaizumi!” Kuroo shouted at some point, hugging him out of the blue. “I'm so glad you joined us, Daichi here was feeling lonely as the only boy from Miyagi.”

“True that, though I don't know if I'd ever request for someone from Seijoh,” Daichi replied, patting Iwaizumi's shoulder while doing so. “But you're not that bad, I'll give you that. And waaaaay easier to deal with than Bokuto.”

“Ohoh, definitely!” Kuroo agreed, laughing. “Can't wait to see how Oikawa treats him, though. He can't be used to his emo moods, not yet, emphatic as he can be. They play tomorrow, right? Let's all watch the game together! Oh, man, I can already picture Oikawa's face when Bokuto tells him to not toss to him anymore.”

Iwaizumi nodded and smiled a bit, but he felt a tug in his stomach. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the Suntory Sunbirds play tomorrow. He would see all his old teammates, wearing the jersey he still cared about, playing without him. He would see Bokuto playing in his place, Oikawa tossing to someone other than him, and maybe it was too soon.

Oikawa had texted him that afternoon, complimenting him on his victory and making fun of his new jersey, saying that the colours clashed with Iwaizumi's skin tone. They bickered for a while, just killing time, but Iwaizumi could read between the lines. He knew it had been weird for Oikawa to see him play with a different team, he knew because it was the same for him.

“Why don't we watch it at my place?” he offered. Maybe their cheering would help him deal with the constant silence of his new flat. He really needed some noisy neighbours.

“Sure, why not.” Kuroo agreed, giving him a weird look that Iwaizumi chose to ignore. When Daichi also agreed, Kuroo decided to change the subject and they ended up talking about the tabby cat that he had just adopted with Kenma.

When Iwaizumi went to bed that night, he took out his phone and quickly wrote a message to Oikawa.

**Iwaizumi:** _Maybe I should get a cat. Dont think itd be hard to adapt, im used to babysitting you_

He didn't stay up late enough to read Oikawa's reply.

**Oikawa:** _So mean, Iwa-chan!!!!_

**Oikawa:** _ur scary face would scare a kitten away_

**Oikawa:** _but yay!! get a ginger cat and call him ron!_

***

Iwaizumi had just hung up the call with the take away restaurant when Daichi and Kuroo arrived. They weren't supposed to eat junk food, but considering it was their day off and they had played a game the day before, he figured they could make an exception for tonight. Kuroo simply shrugged, way too used to ignoring his diet to care, but Daichi gave Iwaizumi a stern look that told him this was going to be a one time only deal. Iwaizumi was starting to comprehend why the Karasuno players called him Dadchi.

“Can I get you anything? A beer?”

“So homey, Iwaizumi. And Oikawa used to complain that you were an awful roommate!” Kuroo joked, walking towards the kitchen as if he were in his own house. Iwaizumi was used to seeing him barge into his room during retreats with the national team, so his behaviour didn't surprise him.

“You should really stop listening to Oikawa, complaining is like breathing to him.”

“Heh, but it's fun listening to him babble about his Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi could almost hear Kuroo's eyebrows raise suggestively, even if he couldn't see his face, he was simply so used to his jokes. He decided to ignore it, mainly because he felt the tips of his ears starting to grow hot, and he really didn't want to blush in front of Daichi because of Oikawa, of all things. Daichi was already watching him with a questioning look, obviously not understanding what was going on in its entirety and Iwaizumi really wanted to keep things that way. 

“So, Daichi. How's the old group back in Miyagi? I only know about Kageyama and Hinata.”

Daichi smiled, accepting the beer Kuroo had generously brought for him from the kitchen. Iwaizumi already knew his flat was going to become Kuroo's second home from the way his friend was starting to move his ornaments around.

“Oh, Chibi-chan became a really good player. They grow up so fast.” Kuroo joked, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Iwaizumi thought about Oikawa, remembering how he called Hinata the same name back in high school.

“That they do, Kuroo, that they do.” Daichi agreed, raising his beer and sipping it. “Well, Suga, my vice captain, is still in university. He's studying sports medicine and he's currently doing his PhD in Tokyo. Asahi and Tanaka are still in Sendai. I'm surprised you didn't hear about Noya, though, he plays in Italy with Ishikawa. Tsukishima stopped playing when he got into university, and so did Yamaguchi, I think they live in Fukuoka. I didn't think I'd be one of the few who'd play volleyball professionally, but I can't say I complain.”

“Nor do I, it's nice to have you on the court.” Iwaizumi agreed, sipping his beer as well. “So Refreshing-kun is a doctor, nice.”

“What?” Daichi asked, laughing, and it took Iwaizumi a moment to grasp what he meant. He shook his head when he realised he used Oikawa's nickname for Sugawara. At least it was one of the nicer ones.

“Sorry, it's Oikawa's fault. He's unable to call people by their names, always has to give them nicknames or mangle their real ones. You must be proud of him. Sugawara, I mean.”

“Yeah, I am.” Daichi nodded, his eyes lighting up. Iwaizumi frowned in confusion, noticing how Daichi's expression changed in only a second. “He's so good, and he's going to be amazing with the players. It's tough not seeing him very often, though.”

Iwaizumi's confusion increased so much that it must have been visible on his face, because Kuroo burst out laughing. Iwaizumi could only blink, far from understanding what was going on, and that made Kuroo laugh even more. It was nice to see that Daichi was as much in the dark as he was. He was staring at Kuroo with his eyebrows raised, while their friend kept laughing.

“You're creeping me out,” Iwaizumi said then, and Kuroo had to take a deep breath in order to calm down. He even had to wipe some tears from his eyes, this time for real.

“I'm sorry, Iwaizumi, but _your face_. You really are 'The King of Obliviousness' and I didn't want to believe it was true. Daichi and Suga are a couple.”

“Oh. I didn't know.”

Daichi's cheeks were slightly red as he gave Iwaizumi a tentative smile, “My fault, I assumed you knew. We've been together since high school, we already were when we used to play against each other, and we were told we were quite obvious. I really thought everybody knew by now.”

“Iwaizumi doesn't count, Daichi. He's so dense, he really can't see what's right in front of him. You and Suga-chan are the sweetest, by the way, I hope he'll come by soon. Oh, look, the game is about to start!”

Iwaizumi followed Kuroo's stare and noticed that the teams were indeed already on the court. He sat on the couch without removing his eyes from the TV, noticing the new rotation of his old team. They changed quite a bit, trying to get more powerful in the receive aspect, which had always been their weakest area.

Oikawa was on the court, obviously. His jersey was marked with the captain symbol, and Iwaizumi couldn't help but smile. He knew how much Oikawa wanted to become captain of their team, and when they'd told him the title would be his this season, his friend had almost cried. He was now talking to Bokuto, who nodded at whatever Oikawa was telling him. They seemed fine, Oikawa wasn't showing any sign of nervousness for this weird duo debut, and Iwaizumi was surprised to find himself a bit disappointed by it.

He shook his head, focusing his mind and thoughts on the match, which started only a couple of minutes later. It wasn't easy, the opponent team controlled the game from the very beginning, not giving any space for Oikawa's moves. Their receives were amazing, not giving any ball up, and the Sunbirds were having a hard time finding some room to breathe. Bokuto completely lost it at some point, and Iwaizumi burst out laughing when Oikawa was shown giving him his fakest smile. He would try to remember to tease his friend about it.

Oikawa lost the first set. His game was flawless as usual, perhaps a little stiff on the left side, but it was probably only obvious to Iwaizumi since he was so used to noticing every single detail about Oikawa's tosses. They recovered quickly, though, and when the team got back on the court for the second set it was like they had completely changed their mentality. Oikawa, first to serve, immediately scored three points with three amazing aces, single handedly raising the mood of the entire team. From then on, their game was amazing, so much so that they ended up winning the match 3-1.

Iwaizumi immediately grabbed his phone to send a congratulatory text to his closest friends on the team, but stared at the cursor when he was about to write to Oikawa.

“What's the matter, Iwa-chan? Can't say how good your buddy was?” Kuroo asked, his tone teasing.

“Don't call me that,” Iwaizumi answered immediately, almost on reflex, “and yes, to be honest. You know how Oikawa gets when he receives a compliment.”

“Especially yours.” Kuroo laughed, elbowing Iwaizumi. “But he deserves it, he lifted the mood of the whole team, he's really a good captain. His game was pretty good as well, even if he didn't use the left side enough.”

“Oh, you noticed too?”

Kuroo nodded, and so did Daichi. 

“I thought I was imagining it, but apparently not. It was like he wanted to toss there, but didn't want to at the same time. Despite that, he was exceptional as usual. You know Hinata still calls him the Great King?”

Iwaizumi laughed at Daichi's words, but his mind was focused on the fact that everyone noticed something was off with Oikawa. It wasn't like him to play like that, and Iwaizumi was starting to wonder if there was something wrong there or if he was simply overanalyzing the game.

“I think it's because of you,” Kuroo stated, making Iwaizumi startle at the words. He gave him a questioning look, and Kuroo nodded. “Yes, it makes sense. You used to play on his left and he kind of tossed that way without even thinking, knowing you would get everything he'd give you. But now you're not there anymore, and he's not yet used to having someone else in that position. I guess he's afraid the new player won't get his tosses like you would, so he's unconsciously avoiding it. It'll pass, just give him some time to get settled.”

“It makes sense.” Daichi agreed. “Kageyama went through something similar when Hinata injured his knee a couple of years ago, don't you remember? He was so used to their quick that not having Hinata around screwed with his mind a bit during the first game without him. Oikawa will get used to playing without you, sooner or later, and will probably soon toss to the left with no problem.”

Iwaizumi hummed, but avoided answering in any other way. His friends turned their attention back to the TV, while he kept staring at his phone's screen.

Kuroo and Daichi's analysis of Oikawa's game could be right, and it was correct to assume that Oikawa's problems would eventually disappear, and yet Iwaizumi didn't feel right about it. He knew he was supposed to root for his best friend, even if he was an opponent right now; hell, he was supposed to  _because_ he was an opponent now. He promised Oikawa that he would defeat him once they played against each other, and he wanted to do that knowing Oikawa was at the top of his game. Then why did he feel anguished at the idea of Oikawa bonding with the new spiker? He knew this would have happened when he decided to move, he was doing the same with the setter of his new team, after all.

“What! That receive was insane!”

Iwaizumi startled when he heard Kuroo almost screaming at the TV, where the sports news was showing the best actions of all the games played during the weekend. He turned his attention back to his phone, typed a non committal text of congratulations, and tried hard to focus on the program and not on the annoying weight on his stomach.

***

It had been a month and a half since Iwaizumi had moved to Hirakata, and he still had problems with the new reality. He was making progress, his flat now seemed inhabited at the very least, although it was mostly because of his new cat and his tendency to provide himself the best manicure with the curtains and the couch, even if Iwaizumi had bought him a scratching post.

He had joked about getting a cat with Oikawa, but it had happened almost by chance. He was supposed to help Kuroo and Kenma move some furniture, but he ended up running some errands with Kenma, since Kuroo had been so late that Kenma had decided to just reschedule the whole thing. He had invited Iwaizumi to go with him to the shelter in a bored tone, and Iwaizumi immediately understood that Kuroo had asked him to be nice since Iwaizumi still didn't have many friends in the city. Nevertheless, Iwaizumi really enjoyed Kenma's company. He was so calm, so different from the people he was used to having around, and he decided to go with him even if Kenma probably didn't even care if he went with him or not.

He met the cat almost immediately. He was one of the first cats the staff showed to the people who arrived at the shelter, probably because they thought it would have increased the chances of him getting adopted, but Iwaizumi knew in an instant it wasn't going to happen easily. He was a stray cat, and he wore the scars from his former battle days on his right ear, which had been almost completely bitten off by some other animal. Still, Iwaizumi thought he was beautiful with his fur a shining orange. The lack of an ear wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the cat's attitude. He was annoying, there wasn't any other way to put it. He looked at everybody coming to see him as if they were his subjects, the staff of the shelter joked saying that he believed himself to be a king. He was beautiful, but people weren't interested in a cat who didn't immediately purr at their touches, and as a result he had been in the shelter for many months by the time Iwaizumi happened to stumble upon him.

And so he adopted him. He didn't even think about it, one look at the cat and he knew they could share his silent flat, no problem. The cat seemed to agree, because he allowed Iwaizumi to pat his head and even purred a bit when he scratched under his chin.

That was how Iwaizumi ended up with torn curtains and cat food on his kitchen floor, which he now had to clean quickly because he was going to have guests that night and, despite them being his friends, he didn't want anyone to slip on random pieces of food. He was just finishing when the doorbell rang, startling him. He quickly went to the door, raising his voice so that he would be heard outside.

“Shit, Kuroo, you're always late, _of course_ you'd be early the one time I'm clea--”

Iwaizumi stopped mid-sentence when he opened the door wide and, instead of Kuroo, he found Oikawa giving him a tentative smile.

Iwaizumi felt shocked for a moment, staring at his best friend, whom he hadn't seen in almost two months. Sure, they had Skyped, but a laptop screen didn't do justice to how Oikawa's eyes shone or the little dimple that always appeared when he smiled  _that_ way. Iwaizumi mentally slapped himself at the thought, since when did he focus on Oikawa's dimples? It must be because he hadn't seen him in a while.

“Ehm, Iwa-chan? Hello? Have you been abducted by aliens? Who left your body here? If so, why didn't you get me as well, aliens? I'm the expert, not Iwa-chan! He always makes fun of me for my interests, he isn't a good subject for your experimentations!”

Iwaizumi shook his head at Oikawa's words, which woke him up from his temporary shock, “Stop babbling, Shittykawa. What are you doing here?”

Oikawa made a weird face, which only lasted a moment, before it was replaced by one of those smiles that Iwaizumi would have easily defined as fake. Not one of his fakest, but close enough to make Iwaizumi raise his eyebrow in suspicion.

“So mean, Iwa-chan. Just because _you_ forgot that we live only one hour away, doesn't mean that I forgot too. I wanted to meet your cat, of course. So, where's George?”

Iwaizumi frowned, opting to not answer the subtle accusation in Oikawa's words. It was true that he hadn't gone home once since he'd moved, despite not living far away from his old town, yet he couldn't say why. He gestured for Oikawa to come inside, then pointed in the vague direction of the kitchen.

“He's probably eating. The little shit always does it right after I clean his mess up.”

“Oh, he's fighting the clean freak inside Iwa-chan! I love him already. Hey, George, come meet your uncle Oikawa! I bet we'll become great friends.”

Iwaizumi wasn't even surprised when he saw his cat come into the living room with a joy never shown to Iwaizumi, not even when he prepared his food. George immediately went to Oikawa, scraping on his calves as if Oikawa was his human, and not Iwaizumi. Oikawa had always been a cat person, so of course he jumped at the occasion to start covering George with his affections until the cat was a purring mess in his hands.

“I can't believe you actually called him George,” Oikawa laughed, while scratching George under his chin.

“Yeah, well, it seemed more appropriate than Ron, and he seems to like it.”

“I'm glad you adopted him, this way you'll miss me less! Right, Iwa-chan? You be a good boy, okay, George? I know Iwa-chan frowns a lot and has an ugly face, but he's not that bad, eh? He cooks well.”

“I bet that's the reason why he hasn't escaped yet. So, despite telling my cat how ugly his owner is, what brings you here?”

Oikawa's face darkened for only a brief instant, before he flashed Iwaizumi with a smile so fake that it almost seemed plastic. Iwaizumi was starting to worry about him and his sudden decision to drive for an hour to come see him. Oikawa hated driving, he couldn't believe for a second that he faced the journey only to meet George.

“I told you. I haven't formally met your cat, I wanted him to see my beautiful face. It's really just charity, he must be sad only seeing you most of the times.”

“Oh, cut the crap, Assykawa.”

“What, can't I come see my best friend whom I haven't seen in two months? Sorry if I bothered you so much.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, “Don't do this, don't overreact like you always do. You've come out of the blue, unannounced, and with a weak excuse. Forgive me if I've know you forever and I know when something's up.”

“Oh, so you know me so well to just assume that I simply didn't want to see you, there has to be a further motive.”

“No! Come on, Oikawa, stop fighting me.”

“You don't know me as well as you think you do, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa said in a low voice, avoiding Iwaizumi's eyes and focusing instead on George. “Remember that we just spent two months apart.”

“After years and years of basically being in symbiosis.” Iwaizumi answered immediately, almost annoyed with how Oikawa had seemed to have forgotten that they'd once practically lived in each other's pocket.

“A lot can happen in two months.”

“So tell me what happened!” Iwaizumi exclaimed, his hands raised in the air, a clear sign that he was starting to lose his patience. Oikawa didn't even raise his head.

“I got an offer to move here.”

“What?!”

Among all the things, this was the last Iwaizumi had expected. He had never thought that Oikawa might move to his team, but now that the offer was on the table, he realised it was naïve to do so. Oikawa was one of the best setters in the country, if not  _the_ best, next to Kageyama. He received new offers every season, but had never even considered them. He was loyal to the team until the very end, like he had been to Seijoh any time Ushijima had told him that he should have gone to Shiratorizawa. 

“You heard me. They want me to play for the Panthers.”

“And... What do you want to do?”

Iwaizumi couldn't wrap his mind around this news, especially because he couldn't read Oikawa's thoughts like he used to. He couldn't believe he had lost his touch in only two months, so it was much more likely that Oikawa didn't want him to comprehend. He had kept his head low the entire time, caressing George's fur, and when he finally raised it, he seemed almost lost for a moment. He stared at Iwaizumi right in the eyes, like he used to when they were kids and still believed Iwaizumi had all the answers, and maybe that was what he was expecting now as well. An answer, something to help him decide.

“Perhaps...” Iwaizumi said, tentative, when Oikawa didn't utter a single word. “Perhaps you should look around more, if you want to expand your horizons. A lot of teams would kill to have you.”

It probably wasn't the correct answer, because Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi with an almost shattered expression. It lasted only a second and it was over so quickly that Iwaizumi wondered if he had dreamt it. Now, Oikawa wasn't looking at him anymore and had risen from the couch, looking around.

“Right, uhm,” he mumbled, and Iwaizumi couldn't help but notice his voice sounded strange. “I'll think about it, now I really must go. Where's my jacket, Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi grabbed him from the sofa, right next to where Oikawa had been sitting, and gave it to him. “Are you sure? It's a long drive back, you should rest a bit. Kuroo and Daichi are coming over, you should stay.”

Oikawa started at the words, and immediately shook his head before grabbing the jacket and hastily walking towards the door. 

“Nah, Iwa-chan is hanging out with his new friends. I don't want to intrude. Besides, I gotta go back, tomorrow I've got an early start. Practice. Important match this week, you know?”

Iwaizumi held his breath when Oikawa stopped talking. They were going to face each other that Saturday, for the first time in their lives they were going to play volleyball on opposite sides of the net.

“Forgive me if I don't wish you good luck.” Iwaizumi tried to joke, but Oikawa only gave him a dry smile. “Hey, you're staying here, right? After the match?”

Oikawa let out a grimace, looking at some point behind Iwaizumi. It was clear he didn't want to meet his eyes, and Iwaizumi just couldn't understand what was happening. Oikawa had never acted this way around him, not even when they were fighting.

“I don't think it's such a good idea, Iwa-chan. We're opponents now, it wouldn't be appropriate. Gotta go now, have fun with your friends.”

Iwaizumi didn't have time to answer that Kuroo was Oikawa's friend as much as he was his, if not more, because Oikawa sprinted out of the door and was already on the stairs a second later. He barely had the time to scream at him to 'Text me when you get back home!' before Oikawa was down the stairs. Iwaizumi blinked at the space where his best friend had stood a second before, and couldn't help his sigh.

He didn't have time to think, to try to understand what had just happened, because Kuroo and Daichi appeared at the top of the stairs a few minutes later. Iwaizumi hadn't even realised he was still on the landing, his door open behind his back, almost as if he was waiting for Oikawa to come back.

“Oi, everything alright?” Kuroo asked, concerned. Daichi was looking down the stairs, and Iwaizumi realised they had probably met Oikawa at the main entrance.

“We met Oikawa downstairs, he seemed upset.” Daichi said, confirming Iwaizumi's suspicions.

“I... don't know.” Iwaizumi said, blinking. Kuroo was looking at him, growing more and more concerned while Daichi was starting to frown, the one that he used to have daily in high school, where the middle of his eyebrows scrunched together. He remembered Oikawa making fun of it, saying Daichi would have wrinkles by the age of thirty.

His friends almost guided Iwaizumi inside of his own flat, where George was waiting patiently next to the sofa. He looked at Iwaizumi, then at the door, and meowed as if he was asking Iwaizumi why his nice friend wasn't coming back. When he finally understood that Oikawa had left, George gave Iwaizumi a glare and left the room altogether.

“Your cat is haughty.” Kuroo commented, and Iwaizumi half smiled.

“He's team Oikawa already.” he answered, sitting on the couch, immediately followed by Kuroo and Daichi. 

They remained silent, giving him space, but he knew he would have to talk eventually and explain what had happened. Maybe Daichi wouldn't ask anything, but Kuroo was really close to Oikawa and seemed really concerned about him. Iwaizumi wondered how upset Oikawa was when he'd left the building, if Kuroo was so preoccupied.

“He was offered a position on our team.” he said after a while, and he realised he still didn't know what to think about it.

“Wow, that's amazing!” Daichi exclaimed. “I always wanted to play with Oikawa, but don't tell Kageyama I said that.”

Iwaizumi remained silent as his mind went a thousand miles per hour, rethinking everything that had happened throughout Oikawa's visit. Kuroo was observing him in silence, almost studying him, and Iwaizumi couldn't help but think that what they said about Kuroo was right. He truly was the poster boy for observance, and in moments like these where he studied the people in front of him, he really looked like a panther ready to attack.

“Is it amazing, though?” he asked then, and Iwaizumi looked at him in confusion. “You don't look happy at the idea of him coming here.”

“It's not that. I just think he should consider other offers, that's all. He's a great player, he shouldn't jump on the first occasion he gets.”

“I don't think this is his only offer, though.” Daichi said. “It mustn't be. He's the first setter on the national team, after all. He must get tons of offers every year.”

“Yeah, he does.” Iwaizumi confirmed, remembering all the times Oikawa had boasted of all the teams who wanted him, but couldn't have him.

“So, this is the first time he's actually considering one of them?” Kuroo asked, and Iwaizumi shrugged in response. 

“I don't know. I guess? We never really talked about this, not in serious way. He loves playing for the Sunbirds, I always kind of assumed he wanted to play there forever.”

“But you didn't.” Kuroo stated, earning a confusing stare from Iwaizumi. “You didn't want to play in the same team forever, why would he?”

“It's not...” Iwaizumi sighed, realising where the conversation was going. Perhaps it was time to voice his thoughts out loud, for the first time in months. “It's not like that. I loved playing for the Sunbirds, it hurt to leave. I could imagine myself playing there until my retirement.”

“Then why did you move?”

“Because...” Iwaizumi ran a hand through his short hair nervously. “Because I had reached a point where I didn't know who I was as a player any more. I needed a change to rediscover why I love this sport so much. I had... I read an article last year, about me, and the team, and I kept thinking about it every time I put my feet on the court. Eventually it started to influence my play, and I started making more mistakes, and I just knew I had to remove myself from a situation where I second guessed every move I made on the court. It wasn't fair to me or to the team.”

Iwaizumi saw Daichi and Kuroo look at each other, and he could almost hear their silent conversation. They were probably wondering what he was talking about, or perhaps they had read the same article and were remembering those words that had impacted Iwaizumi so much.

“Did you tell Oikawa this?” Daichi asked, and Iwaizumi shook his head.

“No. I didn't know how. I tried to, but I couldn't find the words. He would have blame himself, but it isn't his fault.”

“What did the article say, Iwaizumi?” Kuroo asked, his voice surprisingly soft, and Iwaizumi closed his eyes. It had been months since he had chosen to change teams, to shake up his whole life because of an article, and it had worked. He hadn't thought about that article since the beginning of the season. 

“It said Oikawa and I act in unison.”

“That's true.” Daichi confirmed, and Kuroo nodded in agreement. “You guys always look for each other on the court, you always know where the other is. It's beautiful to see, actually.”

“They said my ability was not enhanced by Oikawa, more _created_ by him. Like, we always played together and so my ability was shaped by Oikawa, growing up. They hinted that on my own, without Oikawa by my side, I wouldn't be worthy of wearing Japan's jersey.”

“What?!”

“That's an insult! No way!”

Iwaizumi didn't reply to his friends, even if he warmed up at the idea that they were on his side. He kept talking, though, because he had never shared these thoughts with anyone before, and he was now realising he really needed to let them out. He had never been in need of reassurance, but when he did, he had always turned to Oikawa. Oikawa was his best friend, the person who knew him best in the whole world, but he really couldn't understand how Iwaizumi felt when he'd read that article. He couldn't talk to Oikawa, not about this. And so he had kept everything bottled up, he had made his decisions on his own, and had only told his friend when he had signed the new contract.

“Oikawa and I... we've known each other since we were four. We started playing together at six and simply never stopped. We spent tons and tons of afternoons in his garden, he used to toss me the ball and I spiked it even before we knew what tossing and spiking meant. And then high school came and finished, and I thought we were going different ways and we said goodbye to each other. It was so sad, he kept crying... we _both_ cried. And then, almost out of the blue, I was suddenly scouted by the same university he was going to, so we kept playing together. And then the Sunbirds came, and the national team. We did everything together, side by side. So, what if the journalist was right? I didn't know what it was to play without Oikawa. It only happened for short amounts of time, when he had injured his knee. So maybe he was right, maybe I wasn't that good of a player without Oikawa around. I just... I really needed to prove to myself that it wasn't like that.”

“And you didn't tell Oikawa back then?”

“No.”

“Does he know now?”

“No.”

Daichi took a deep breath, resting his head on his hands. Kuroo was staring at Iwaizumi with his mouth open in surprise, and it took him a moment to act, before he slapped Iwaizumi upside the head.

“Ouch!” Iwaizumi exclaimed, massaging the back of his head. “What the fuck?!”

“You idiot! And now you told him to look for other teams?”

“Yes?”

Kuroo slapped him again, “ _Idiot!_ And you call yourself his best friend? It's like you don't know him at all! You're so dense. Did you ever think, even for just one fucking second, that Oikawa could think that you didn't want to play with him anymore?”

“What? No! That's ridiculous! We're a team!”

“And yet, you transferred teams without telling him why. You don't visit him. Yes, I noticed you never went home once. And now he decides to come here, he thinks about changing teams for the first time in his life, to come to _your_ team, and you tell him to look for other options? Are you stupid, Iwaizumi?”

If he wasn't stupid, he certainly felt like he was in that moment. He looked at Kuroo, who was staring at him with his eyebrows raised, and appeared ready to slap him another time if he dared to say the wrong thing again.

“I don't know why I told him that.”

“Do you feel okay now?” Daichi asked. “With your play, I mean. I haven't noticed any slips on your game, you're as strong as always. Obviously it's different than when you play with Oikawa, but he's not the same either. You're something else when you're together.”

Iwaizumi nodded, thinking back to the recent matches, “Yeah, I do. I think I needed this change. But it doesn't mean that I don't want Oikawa to play with us, I miss playing with him.”

There was a moment of silence then, Iwaizumi almost lost under the gazes of his friends. Daichi still looked concerned, but the frown between his eyebrows was gone, so Iwaizumi briefly reasoned that the situation wasn't as bad as it had seemed in the first place. Even Kuroo seemed to have relaxed a bit, at least he didn't seem on the verge of hitting him again. He was apparently calm, in that weird way that always made Iwaizumi think Kuroo knew something that he didn't. He had the feeling he was missing something, and when Kuroo spoke, his words solidified Iwaizumi's idea.

“Perhaps there's something else. Perhaps you unconsciously think that you still need time on your own to clear some things up.”

“Like what?”

Kuroo smirked, patting Iwaizumi's thigh, “That, my dear friend, is something you need to understand on your own. It took me a while as well, when I was in your shoes. I think Oikawa has already figured it out, though, so you better move.”

Iwaizumi frowned at Kuroo's enigmatic words. Daichi was trying not to laugh, and the idea of being the only one not understanding what was going on bothered Iwaizumi, but he was pretty sure that neither Kuroo nor Daichi would ever explain him what they were thinking. He would have to figure it out on his own.

They didn't talk about the situation for the rest of the night, focusing instead on trash TV programs and funny stories about Kuroo and Kenma's cat. When Iwaizumi found himself alone once again, though, his mind kept reminding him of Kuroo's words. 

He was feeling more and more confused, and the fact that Oikawa hadn't sent a 'home safe' text bothered him more than a little bit. He felt like a stalker when he opened their chat only to look at Oikawa's last online activity, but at least he was sure he got back safe and sound – the idiot was really a bad driver, even when he wasn't upset.

Iwaizumi knew he had to apologise to Oikawa, and also explain everything from the very beginning. It was strange, he had never been the insecure one between the two of them, but he knew he had to; he just didn't know how. Luckily he was going to see Oikawa again in just a few days.

***

The score was 5-3 for the Panthers when Iwaizumi found himself in front of Oikawa, a net dividing them. He swallowed, noticing how Oikawa's eyes were hard, way more than they usually were when he was focused on a game.

“Crappykawa.” Iwaizumi tried to joke, but Oikawa didn't smile like he usually did when Iwaizumi made fun of him.

“Iwa-chan.” he answered, but his tone was flat, his eyes focused on Daichi, who was ready to serve behind Iwaizumi's back.

Iwaizumi hadn't heard from Oikawa for the whole week. He tried texting and calling him, but he never got through. In the end, he even called some of his former teammates to know if Oikawa was feeling okay. The answers he got were all the same: “sure,” “he's fine,” “he really wants to crush you.” Iwaizumi didn't know if that was a good sign or not.

And now they were finally facing each other, the moment they had both dreaded back when they were teenagers who couldn't imagine playing without their best friend. Truth be told, they had both felt the same way only a few months back when Iwaizumi had chosen to transfer, but it had seemed less scary than when they were sixteen. Now, though, Iwaizumi was finding it terrifying.

Oikawa was playing exceptionally. He was always amazing, but tonight he seemed to be even more outstanding. He was using all the spikers, but most of all the left side, the one were Iwaizumi used to stand. Kuroo and Daichi were right, he'd definitely gotten used to the new player. And when he served he always targeted Iwaizumi, like he was showing him how good he had become; as if Iwaizumi needed to be reminded that Oikawa's serves were amongst the most dangerous in the whole League.

If Oikawa's game was at the top, Iwaizumi was playing one of his worst matches ever. His receives were inefficient, his serves hit the net more times than not, and his spikes were blocked more and more the game went on. Kuroo had already slapped him on the head several times, but he hadn't managed to put some sense into him. Iwaizumi had never been an anxious player, but tonight it seemed different. His game was becoming sloppier and sloppier, especially when he was directly facing Oikawa, and he didn't need a shrink to understand that everything was connected to him. When he was eventually benched, he couldn't help but search some reassurance in Oikawa's face.

Oikawa wasn't even looking at him.

***

The Panthers lost the game, and Iwaizumi knew it was mostly his fault. His teammates didn't tell him anything, he actually received more hugs than what he thought he deserved, and it was one of those moments where he realised he had made the right call in deciding to transfer there.

And yet, he felt awful.

He sat on the floor in front of the guest team locker room, waiting patiently for Oikawa. Iwaizumi's former team had already come out, everyone stopped to chat a bit with him, and only Oikawa was still inside. Despite Kuroo's opinion, Iwaizumi wasn't stupid and was more than aware that Oikawa was avoiding him, but he couldn't hide in that locker room forever. He was going to come out sooner or later, and Iwaizumi would be there when he did.

Almost as if he had heard Iwaizumi's thoughts, Oikawa came out not a moment later. He was wearing the Sunbirds' tracksuit and his hair was flat, which surprised Iwaizumi, because Oikawa never left a building if his hair wasn't perfect.

“Did you finish your hair gel?”

“Nah, just thought I should _expand my horizons_.”

Okay, so no chit chat, apparently. Oikawa, who was usually the one who avoided confrontation, was now addressing the problem head on. Iwaizumi gave him a tentative smile, which wasn't returned. It was clear that Oikawa had had enough of Iwaizumi's bullshit, as Kuroo would have politely put it, and it was now time to face the music.

“I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean it. Well, yes, I meant it, but not like that.”

“Real clear, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, even if he knew Oikawa was right. His mind was running and he wanted to tell Oikawa so many things, but he was only able to babble nonsense.

“I think you should look around more if you want to change teams. But if you want to come to the Panthers, we'll all be happy to have you. Daichi was super into the idea of you playing with us.”

“Oh, so you told your new friends about my life changing decision. Awesome.”

Iwaizumi noted how Oikawa still wasn't meeting his eyes, looking down the corridor instead. He could see uncertainty on his face, those little details he had learnt to pick up in middle school when Iwaizumi was constantly on alert because he thought Oikawa was going to lose himself to his mind and hurt himself again. He remembered Kuroo's words, when he told him it was possible that Oikawa thought Iwaizumi didn't want to play with him anymore; and in that moment it clicked. He quickly reached Oikawa and flicked his forehead.

“Oi, Idiotkawa, you know you're still my best friend, right?”

Oikawa finally turned to look at him, a weird expression on his face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind and simply nodded. Iwaizumi elbowed him and gestured to the door.

“Now, if you will, I have a cat at home who's dying to receive some cuddles by his favourite human. Who, unfortunately, is not the one who provides him food. Cats, eh?”

Oikawa let out a chuckle and Iwaizumi felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It was infinitely easier to deal with a smiling Oikawa, especially when it was one of the real ones, the ones he reserved for Iwaizumi only. He had never understood why Oikawa didn't share that side of him with more people, it was honestly the best part of him, and yet he was the only one who was allowed to see the softie inside of his friend. His favourite Oikawa. Softykawa.

Iwaizumi mentally slapped himself at that thought and stormed down the hallway, forcing Oikawa to run behind him to catch up, laughing.

They were going to be fine. Iwaizumi was going to explain everything and they were going to be fine.

***

During the years of their friendship, Iwaizumi and Oikawa spent a lot of nights up, just talking or watching movies. When they were kids, their mother used to tell them to go to bed early. They would agree, nodding with their fingers crossed behind their backs before running to the bedroom to whisper all night long. When they grew up and rent a place together, they still whispered until dawn, curled up under the kotatsu in their living room, afraid to wake up the neighbours. When Iwaizumi told Oikawa he would move out, they spent the night fighting and screaming, not caring about who could hear them. Oikawa wanted answers that Iwaizumi wasn't ready to give.

Now, they spent the night with their legs brushing under the kotatsu, George curled on Oikawa's lap, listening to Iwaizumi explaining to his best friend why he had needed a break.

Iwaizumi had been right, Oikawa did in fact cry and blame himself. It took quite a lot of time for Iwaizumi to convince him that it wasn't true, because it was Iwaizumi's problem, but mostly because there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Spending those months alone, in the new team, with different teammates, had taught Iwaizumi that he had nothing to be concerned about. It was like Daichi had said, he and Oikawa were exceptional together, but they were also very good players on their own. Iwaizumi could shine even without his favourite setter, he was his own player, after all. And so was Oikawa.

“But I don't want to.” Oikawa whispered when Iwaizumi shared that thought. “Not anymore, Iwa-chan.”

“Mh?”

Iwaizumi blinked when Oikawa turned towards him, tears in his eyes. “I miss you. And not just as my best friend, I miss you as my partner on the court. Yeah, we're the best and we can crush the opponent teams even on our own, but I don't want to. I want to go back to being the magic duo.”

Iwaizumi smiled, just a bit, but it was enough to make Oikawa return it. “You want to come here, don't you?”

“Only if you're okay with it, Iwa-chan. I know you have all these new friends here, but maybe you can also have an old one? Plus, George totally prefers me to you, you have to think about your son.”

“He's a cat, Oikawa.”

“So? You're still his dad.”

Iwaizumi laughed at that, and considering how Oikawa suddenly looked smug, he had understood that he had already convinced Iwaizumi. Not that he had to put too much effort into it, Hanamaki always said that Oikawa had Iwaizumi wrapped around his little finger, and in moments like these Iwaizumi couldn't deny it.

“Since you're his favourite human, you're in charge of his litter.”

“Wait! No! That's not far! He's your cat!”

“He'll be _our_ cat come next season, might as well get used to it already,” Iwaizumi winked, and Oikawa blinked in surprise. He turned his attention to George, but Iwaizumi didn't miss the blush on his cheeks.

“Our cat, eh? So, we'll be roommates again.”

“I mean, if you're fine with it. This flat only has one bedroom, we would have to look for another one. Or if you don't want to, you could look for a place close by. I don't know.”

Oikawa gave him a little nudge. “Don't stress your little brain too much, Iwa-chan. You know you get headaches when you think too much, leave it to the mastermind here.”

Iwaizumi slapped Oikawa upside the head, hard, but when he heard his friend burst out laughing, he knew they were going to be okay from now on. There were no more secrets, after all.

***

“Iwa-chan, help me! It's heavy!”

Iwaizumi looked down on the stairs, where Oikawa was trying to lift a huge box, failing miserably. 

“If you had packed it better, it wouldn't have been that heavy. It's your mess, you carry it.”

“So mean!”

They had been moving Oikawa's things into Iwaizumi's flat since the previous week, and it was now time for the last boxes. Oikawa, despite defining himself the mastermind, had left all the heavy stuff for the last trip, so now he was facing the harsh reality of climbing three floors with a huge box on his back. Sure, he couldn't have known that the lift would break today among all days, but still, he had packed his stuff badly and Iwaizumi had no intention of helping him.

They were going to share Iwaizumi's flat until they could find a better solution. Iwaizumi had proposed to go flat hunting on his own until Oikawa reached him in Hirakata, but Oikawa had been firm in his decision to go together, affirming Iwaizumi had no taste whatsoever. Then, once he actually had time to visit the apartments, he couldn't find any which gave him the “right feeling.” Iwaizumi, already tired of dealing with an annoying Oikawa who wouldn't shut up about feng shui or whatever he was constantly babbling about, ended up proposing to share his flat for now.

“You know, I can still change my mind about living together. Be nice or I'll throw you and your stuff out, Trashykawa.”

“I'm having college flashbacks, Iwa-chan.”

“Yeah, remember how that ended and be less annoying.”

Oikawa stopped in front of the door and stared at Iwaizumi, confused for a moment, before shaking his head, “So mean, even back then. I couldn't believe you locked me outside of the flat just because I had bought some furniture.”

“You bought a fucking sofa which was bigger than our living room, you idiot.”

“It was nice! And the same colour of our jersey at Seijoh! I felt nostalgic.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don't you dare buy a new couch for this flat, I'm warning you.”

Oikawa gave him an innocent smile, which automatically made Iwaizumi think that one of these days he would come home to find his flat completely refurnished. He rolled his eyes and escaped to the kitchen.

“Oi, want some food?”

“Milk bread, thanks!”

“ _Real_ food, Crappykawa.”

“Milk bread _is_ real food, Iwa-chan. Oh, by the way, Refreshing-kun invited us to a night out with Daichi, Kuroo and Kenma.”

“So, basically we're fifthwheeling?!”

Oikawa laughed and Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, there was nothing funny there. 

“I told him the same thing, he said we wouldn't see the difference. Who knows what he meant, eh, Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi didn't answer, despite the fact that he knew Oikawa was waiting for some kind of insult in reply. Oikawa's words resounded in his mind, and Iwaizumi couldn't shake them off. He wasn't new to jokes like that, Matsukawa and Hanamaki used to make them all the time in high school, they still did sometimes, but Iwaizumi had never considered them too much. Now, though, when Suga hinted he and Oikawa resembled him and Daichi, or Kuroo joked about double dating, Iwaizumi always lost himself in the words. Oikawa didn't seem to care, so at least there weren't awkward situations between the two of them.

“We should bring something. It's their housewarming party, I think, now that Refreshing-kun has officially moved in with Daichi. It'd be a nice gift from us. Do we bring some wine or what?”

There was that, though. Since Oikawa had accepted the Panthers offer and began planning his move to Hirakata, he suddenly started using the word “we” when he spoke about himself and Iwaizumi. Or maybe he always did, and Iwaizumi was making a big deal out of nothing?

He hit his forehead against the fridge, hoping it would help his mind stop working. Seriously, he was on holiday, why did he think this much? Oikawa was his best friend, Kuroo and Suga had always had a particular sense of humour, and nothing had suddenly changed in his life. Nothing at all. Not even the way he felt on the court when he played with Oikawa now, after months apart. The magic he felt in his fingertips after he spiked a good ball tossed to him by Oikawa had always been there. The satisfaction that made Oikawa's eyes shine after they scored a point had always been there. The hugs at the end of the practice matches; those comforting thumps on Oikawa's chest, directly over his heart, after a good service ace; Oikawa's palm on the back of his head when he destroyed the opponent's block. Everything had always been there, right?

“Are you okay, Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi turned to see Oikawa leaning against the doorframe, his pose relaxed, and had his legs always been so long? Oikawa was staring at Iwaizumi with an eyebrow raised, sweat on his forehead after bringing all the boxes up. His cheeks were red from the exercise, and he was obviously waiting for an answer.

“Uhm. Yes. Everything's alright. Why?”

“You seem strange. Do you want to stay home tonight? We could watch a movie.”

“No aliens?”

Oikawa looked affronted for a moment, then sighed, “Fine, no aliens, just because you're weird though. But I veto Godzilla as well. Let's go old fashion and put on some Disney movie! We could sing along!”

“You're a fucking princess, Trashykawa.” Iwaizumi scoffed, but he nodded at a smiling Oikawa. He seemed to be smiling more nowadays, his real smiles.

“Shut up, Iwa-chan, you know all the words!”

“And whose fault is that?” Iwaizumi stated, slapping Oikawa's head on his way to the living room. Oikawa didn't answer, he was probably already thinking about which movie to put on. Iwaizumi heard his phone ringing with a message a second later; when he picked it up, he saw that Oikawa had written in the group chat they had with their friends.

**Oikawa:** _Sorry, amigos, Iwa-chan is craving some disney songs 2night_

**Oikawa:** _were staying home to feed his addiction_

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but didn't bother answering. He knew Kuroo or Suga would make fun of him anyway, even if he tried to defend himself, so why bother? Not even a second later, his phone rang again, the screen signalling he had received a text from Kuroo.

**Kuroo:** _Lol always knew u had a thing for disney princesses. Got a real one I suppose. Watch beauty and the beast_

This time, Iwaizumi answered with a middle finger emoji, which made Oikawa snort from the other room. He got back to the kitchen, where Oikawa was preparing a bowl of popcorn. 

“You know, _Beauty and the Beast_ sounds good to me, what do you think?”

Iwaizumi shrugged as he opened the fridge and took out two sodas, then walked back to the living room and made himself comfortable on the couch. Oikawa arrived moments later, and spread himself along the sofa, putting his head on Iwaizumi's thigh. Iwaizumi flicked his forehead, and when Oikawa looked up at him, he simply raised his eyebrows in a silent question.

“What, you're comfortable.”

“I'm not your pillow.”

“Come on, Iwa-chan, you know I'd use you as my pillow anyway. And as beautiful as they are, your biceps aren't as comfy as your thigh. Now shush and press play, thaaanks!”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, but pressed play anyway. It had been years since he last saw the movie, but he was surprised to see that he still remembered some of the words to the songs. Oikawa had always been more passionate about Disney movies, he knew all the songs by heart, so when Iwaizumi didn't hear him sing he immediately knew something was wrong. When he looked down, he saw Oikawa peacefully sleeping, his mouth slightly open, and Iwaizumi knew that he was going to drool on his thigh. He sighed, then pushed some hair out of Oikawa's forehead.

“You were worried about my mood, sure, Crappykawa. More like you were dead on your feet and wanted a night in.”

Despite the fact that Oikawa was fast asleep, Iwaizumi kept watching the movie. Lumière always made him laugh, after all, and he almost burst out laughing when he imagined Ushijima acting like Gaston. Oikawa moved a bit in his sleep then, so Iwaizumi made sure of not making sudden movements again.

When he arrived to the ball scene, he couldn't help but focus on the lyrics of the song. It had always been one of his favourites, but now it seemed to speak right to him.

_ Just a little change, small to say the least, both a little scared, neither one prepared _

Wasn't it exactly what he had been thinking before? Small changes between him and Oikawa, things that had always been there but were suddenly different. He looked down, Oikawa was still peacefully sleeping on his lap, and Iwaizumi's heart skipped a beat.

“Oh shit.”

He quickly grabbed his phone and unlocked it with trembling hands. He pondered if he should call, but the risk of waking Oikawa up was too high and he definitely wasn't ready to face him. He scrolled down his chats until he found the one he was looking for.

**Iwaizumi:** _Kuroo_

**Iwaizumi:** _since when am i in love with oikawa_

Iwaizumi stared at his phone screen until he saw that Kuroo was typing. The answer was immediate, and definitely not what he was hoping for.

**Kuroo:** _ask oikawa the date you two first met. Since then_

**Kuroo:** _he actually remembers the date, man. He calls it iwachan day_

**Kuroo:** _put two and two together_

**Kuroo:** _ps took u long enough_

**Kuroo:** _pps dont tell him I told u about iwachan day, hed kill me. He was drunk when he told me_

**Kuroo:** _ppps I call dibs on being ur best man_

**Kuroo:** _pppps kenma told me to stop texting u, so this is the last one. Suga says not to overthink to much, just kiss the girl already_

**Kuroo:** _lol see what I did there, a disney joke. Ok this is the last one I promise_

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the sofa. His hands were trembling and his heart was seriously threatening to escape from his ribcage.

So, he was in love with his best friend. No big deal. 

***

When Oikawa woke up an hour later, Iwaizumi was still shocked by his recent discovery, but at least his hands had stopped trembling.

Oikawa cleaned his mouth from the drool with his hand, and Iwaizumi was glad to see that, despite having just realised he was in love with the idiot, he still found the gesture disgusting. He snorted, and Oikawa gave him an odd look, before sitting up and resting his hand on Iwaizumi's thigh to support himself. Iwaizumi immediately cursed his heart for the somersault it did in his ribcage.

“Sorry, I fell asleep. Wouldn't have happened if you had helped me with those boxes, Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi swallowed, noticing how soft Oikawa looked with his eyes still sleepy and his hair all over the place. Oikawa never allowed anyone to see him like that, only Iwaizumi, always him. Just like his most beautiful smiles, Iwaizumi was the only one who had ever seen them, and while he had always felt lucky for that, he was now feeling hopeful. Hopeful that it all meant something, that all these little things he was allowed to see were signs of something bigger. Oikawa was looking at him with curiosity now, his head slightly inclined and an eyebrow raised. His cheek was red and scratched by the material of Iwaizumi's trousers.

“I'm in love with you.”

Well, better to just rip the bandaid off.

Oikawa opened his eyes wide at the words, his mouth open in surprise. He blinked several times, and Iwaizumi did his best not to look away from Oikawa's face, showing a calm he definitely wasn't feeling. His stomach was rolling in anxiety, his heart was beating way too fast, and he was certain he had never felt so scared in his entire life. Not even when he had to serve in the last game at the World Championships, when Japan was under two sets and an error could mean losing it all.

“I-- Iwa-chan?”

“I'm in love with you,” he repeated. “I guess I've been for a while. You always tell me that I'm dense, you might be right.”

Oikawa blinked again, only for a second, before smiling in a way not even Iwaizumi had ever seen. It opened his whole face, making him shine, his eyes lighting up and his cheeks blushing. Oikawa brought a hand up to cover his mouth, but Iwaizumi caught it and moved it away, not wanting to cover up the smile. He intertwined their fingers, a bold move considering Oikawa still hadn't answered, but considering how he was almost crying, Iwaizumi thought it was safe to assume his feelings were returned.

“I thought--! Took you long enough, Iwa-chan! I thought I was going to die alone, catsitting George and his kittens!”

“He's sterile.”

“So literal, Iwa-chan! You id--”

Iwaizumi stopped Oikawa's babbling in the only way he could think about, crashing their mouths together.

He had never thought about Oikawa's lips. In that instant, he realised how stupid he had been in not doing so.

Iwaizumi brought his free hand to Oikawa's head, playing with his hair as he kissed him in a way that he hoped would convey all the words he wasn't able to express. He kissed him to tell him he wanted to be with him, to tell him how beautiful he was with his cheek scratched by Iwaizumi's jeans and his sleepy eyes, to tell him he was annoying and to tell him he would never change any side of him.

He kissed him to tell him he loved him, once again, because he hadn't said it enough in the last year. Or ever, actually.

“I'm sorry I left you.” he whispered, but Oikawa shook his head.

“You needed it. I'm just glad you finally got it, Iwa-chan. You're seriously slow, though, I didn't know what else to do! I boycotted all the flats, come on! Some of them were really lovely, you know? Just one bedroom too much.”

Iwaizumi laughed at that, before stealing another quick kiss from Oikawa.

“I love you, but you're still trash.”

 

 

 


End file.
